Past research has substantiated the fact that minority and disadvantaged groups are more likely than any other group to have substandard levels of preventive health care. Most public health authorities concur that the solution of this problem lies in education. However, while many health researchers conclude that the problem can be solved only by encouraging these individuals to take more sel-initiated health action, others insist that the solution rests on implementing more scientifically sound health intervention programs. Attempting to address both issues, we have developed, using theoretical constructs from social psychology and the health area, a health education program for increasing the preventive health behaviors among disadvantaged people by motivating them to assume primary responsibility for their own health. Approximately 300 residents were drawn from a purposively-selected Pittsburgh neighborhood that is a low income, black community with a neighborhood health center that agreed to cooperate with our project. The same procedure was replicated in a low-income, white community. For each neighborhood, the residents were then randomly distributed into four groups, one experimental and three controls. During the field activities, all persons who agree to participate will be interviewed to establish baseline measures of health knowledge, health attitudes, preventive health practices, and various sociodemographic characteristics. Within each ethnic group, brochures describing available health facilities will be delivered to the experimental group and two of the controls. Values/attitude clarification counseling will be implemented by professional counselors in each experimental and one oontrol group in both racial communities. Finally, a post-survey, similar to the original interview, will be administered to all participants approximately four months after the educational counseling session. From the data collected, we will be able to assess the effect of the educational intervention program in increasing the preventive health behaviors of the respondents and to ferret out the contribution of each component of the educational program.